Filtered wringer

ABSTRACT

A wringer for use with wet mops is disclosed. The wringer includes a body having a plurality of side surfaces and at least one perforated section. A filter is disposed adjacent to the perforated section, so that fluid exiting the container through the perforated section will pass through the filter. The filter may be secured to the wringer by slots formed in the wringer body, or with pins, clips or any other similar attaching means. The filter removes dirt and other contaminants from cleansing fluid used with the mop, lengthening the useful lifetime of the cleansing fluid before replacement is needed. The wringer may also have an attachment member to allow the wringer to be used with a bucket or may be formed integrally with a bucket.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to wringing devices for use in thefloor-maintenance industry. More particularly, the present inventionrelates to a mop wringer having a filter for prolonging the useful lifeof a floor care fluid used with mops during floor maintenance, whilealso reducing the labor associated with such floor maintenance.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Labor is the largest expense item in cleaning. Innovations whichminimize the amount of time required to complete cleaning activitiesreduce overall costs associated with such necessary maintenance.

In the prior art, a mop is often used with a bucket/wringer combination.The bucket is filled with a cleansing fluid, which is usually a mixtureof water and detergent. The mop is inserted into the bucket to rinse itand/or to absorb the cleansing fluid. The wringer is used to removeexcess fluid from the mop before it is used to clean a floor or othersurface. The fluid from the wringer is returned to the bucket, allowingit to be reused. However, dirt and other contaminants that are picked bythe mop during mopping accumulate within the bucket. Within a relativelyshort period of time, the cleansing fluid can become too dirty tocontinue to be used effectively, and will need to be replaced.

In a mopping activity, the amount of time required to complete a task isprolonged because of the need to frequently replace the cleansing fluidused with the mop. Reducing the number of times that the cleaning fluidneeds to be replaced can lead to significant savings in both time andcost.

Therefore, there is a need for a device that will allow for thereclamation of cleansing fluid from a mop that has been used whilesimultaneously removing dirt particles, waste particles and othercontaminants from the cleansing fluid, thus prolonging the useful lifeof the cleansing fluid.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention described herein solves the problem of removingdirt particles and other contaminants from the cleansing fluid used withmops by providing a wringer with a filter that filters dirt particlesand other contaminants from the cleansing fluid that is wrung from themop by the wringer.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention as described herein,a wringer comprises an open top and a plurality of side surfaces, withthe plurality of side surfaces forming an internal volume. The wringerfurther comprises a first wringing surface that is movable between afirst position and a second position, a second wringing surface havingat least one perforation, and a filter that is disposed on the secondwringing surface. The internal volume of the wringer body is decreasedas the first wringing surface is moved from the first position to thesecond position, and the filter is configured and adapted to preventdirt particles or other waste particles from flowing through the atleast one perforation during wringing.

In a second preferred embodiment, a wringer comprises a wringer bodyhaving an open top and a plurality of side surfaces, with the pluralityof side surfaces forming an internal volume, a first wringing surfacemovable between a first position and a second position and having atleast one perforation, and a filter that is disposed on the firstwringing surface. The internal volume of the wringer body is decreasedas the first wringing surface is moved from the first position to thesecond position, and the filter is configured and adapted to preventdirt particles from flowing through the at least one perforation duringwringing.

In a third preferred embodiment, a wringer comprises a compartmenthaving a variable internal volume, a perforated section forming aportion of the compartment, and a filter disposed within thecompartment. Fluid within the compartment passes through the filterbefore flowing through the perforated section.

In a fourth preferred embodiment, a wringer comprises a container havingan open top and an internal volume, a movable part that is movablebetween a first position and a second position, a perforated sectionwith an internal surface, and a filter. The internal volume of thecontainer is decreased as the movable part is moved between the firstposition and the second position, and the filter is attached to theinternal surface of the perforated section.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one preferred embodiment of the presentinvention incorporated on a sidepress wringer.

FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are cross-sectional views of the embodiment of FIG. 1.FIG. 3A shows the wringer with a movable part in a first position, andFIG. 3B shows the wringer with a movable part in a second position.

FIG. 4 is a partial cross sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 1attached to a bucket.

FIG. 5 is a partial cross section view of another embodiment of thepresent invention also in a sidepress wringer.

FIG. 6A and 6B are partial cross-sectional views of the embodiment ofFIG. 5. FIG. 6A shows the wringer with the movable part in a firstposition, and FIG. 6B shows the wringer with a movable part in a secondposition.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are plan views of different arrangements of perforationsthat may be used in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view of a filter in accordance with apreferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 9A and 9B are partial views of a preferred embodiment of theinvention showing the attachment of the filter. FIG. 9A is a partialplan view, and FIG. 9B is a partial top cross-sectional view.

FIGS. 10A and 10B are perspective views of another preferred embodimentof the present invention incorporated in an industrial type wringer;

FIGS. 11A and 11B are perspective views of yet another preferredembodiment of the present invention incorporated in a downpress typewringer;

FIGS. 12A and 12B are perspective views of the embodiment shown in FIGS.11A and 11B detailing the attachment of the filter to the wringer in afirst preferred configuration; and

FIGS. 13A and 13B are perspective views of the embodiment shown in FIGS.11A and 11B detailing the attachment of the filter to the wringer in asecond preferred configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1-4 illustrate a first preferred embodiment of the presentinvention as described herewith. Wringer 1 generally comprises container10, actuator 30, filter 40, and attachment member 60. Container 10 hasopen top 12, a plurality of side walls 14, movable section 20, andperforated section 18, which define an internal volume 11. Movablesection 20 is movable from a first position A to a second position B(see FIGS. 3A and 3B, further described below), which reduces the sizeof internal volume 11. Sealing members 24 on edges 22 of movable section20 minimize the leakage of fluid from container 10 where movable section20 meets side walls 14. However, even if some fluid is able to leak outof container 10 through edges 22, this does not seriously hamper theeffectiveness of the present invention. In a preferred embodiment, thecomponents of container 10 are made of plastic, although othermaterials, such as metal, may also be used.

Movable section 20 is generally rectangular and is attached to container10 at its base by means of rod 22, about which movable section 20 ispivotable. The interior surface 21 of movable section 20 is generallysmooth. Internal scaffolding 23 may be used to provide strength tomovable section 20 while reducing overall weight. Movable section 20further comprises arms 24, which project at an angle from the exteriorsurface of movable section 20 but transverse from rod 22. While two arms24 are used in this preferred embodiment, it is noted that one arm orthree or more arms may also be used without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention. Arms 24 connect movable section 20 toactuator 30, which is used to actuate movable section 20 from firstposition A to second position B.

Actuator 30 further comprises handle 38, rod 34, and arms 36. Actuator30 is rotatable about axis X, which is co-axial with rod 34. Rod 34 isparallel with rod 22. Arms 36 are fixedly attached to and orthogonallyproject from rod 34. Arms 36 are pivotably connected to arms 24 ofmovable section 20 by connecting rod 26 so that an acute angle is formedbetween arms 24 and arms 36. While connecting rod 26 is used in thepreferred embodiment to provide additional structural support to arms 24and 36, alternative mechanisms for providing connection between arms 24and 36, such as rivets or bolts, may also be used. Arms 24 and 36 aregenerally flat and are oriented so that they are aligned along a planethat is orthogonal to axis X. This orientation provides the greatestresistance to bending of arms 24 and 36 due to forces experienced duringactuation of movable section 20, while reducing weight and the amount ofmaterial needed for arms 24 and 36. Arms 24 and 36 also generally haverounded ends to eliminate sharp corners, helping to prevent injuries tousers.

Handle 38 projects orthogonally from rod 34 and provides leverage toallow a user to more easily rotate actuator 30 about axis X. As shown inFIGS. 1-2, handle 38 is generally angled upwards, allowing a user tograsp and press against handle 38 without having to bend down. Theminimization of bending reduces the potential for user injury. Handle 38may also be provided with a crosspiece 39, allowing the user to grip thetop of handle 38 in a horizontal manner. Crosspiece 39 may be covered bya gripping material to further aid in gripping handle 38. In a preferredembodiment, handle 38 and rod 34 are formed from a single piece of bentmetal tubing, but may also be formed of any other suitable material,e.g., molded plastic. However, handle 38 and rod 34 may be formed as twoseparate parts and subsequently connected together.

Spring 32 is attached to rod 34 and arms 24. Spring 32 biases movablesection 20 towards first position A. In a preferred embodiment, spring32 is attached to rod 34 by inserting rod 34 through the coils of spring32. It can be readily seen that spring 32 may be connected to movablesection 20 and actuator 30 in different configurations. For example,hooks may be used to connect spring 32 to movable section 20 andactuator 30. Another alternative embodiment has spring 32 connectingarms 24 and 36.

As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, pressing on handle 38 with force F causesarms 36 to pivot about axis X. This exerts a translational androtational force on arms 24 through connecting rod 26. Arms 24 respondto this force by pivoting about connecting rod 26 so that the anglebetween arms 24 and arms 36 increases while exerting a pushing forceupon movable section 20. Movement of handle 38 is thus translated intopivotal movement of movable section 20 about rod 22 towards secondposition B. As movable section 20 moves towards second position B,internal volume 11 of container 12 is reduced, and movable section 20 isbrought closer to perforated section 18. When handle is released, thebias exerted by spring 32 returns movable section 20 and actuator 30back to first position A.

Perforated section 18 has a plurality of perforations 19 that allowfluid within internal volume 11 to flow out of container 10.Perforations 19 may take on any number of shapes, sizes, andarrangements. In a preferred embodiment, perforated section 18 isdisposed on the side wall 14 that is opposite movable section 20, andperforations 19 are shaped as circular holes. In alternativeembodiments, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, perforations 19 are shaped asslots with rounded ends, and arranged either vertically or horizontally.Furthermore, perforated section 18 may be disposed on other parts ofcontainer 12.

Filter 40 is attached to the outer surface of perforated section 18exterior to container 10. Therefore, any fluid that exits container 10through perforations 19 in perforated section 18 will pass throughfilter 40. In a preferred embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 8, filter40 comprises a plurality of coarse fibers 42 bonded together to form anon-woven mat 44. Fibers 42 may be aligned or randomly formed and fibermat 44 may also be bonded to a second layer 46, which may comprise anylon scrim. The construction of filter 40 allows fluid to pass throughfilter 40 while trapping dirt and other particles within fibers 42.Fibers 42 may be composed of polyester, polyolefin, acrylic, polyamide,aramid, felt or other similar durable and inexpensive material. Thefilter may also be formed of natural fibers, or a combination of naturaland synthetic fibers. The porosity of filter may be selected to capturea variety of particle sizes (e.g., 100 to 400 microns) and differenttypes/sizes of filters may be employed in different applications totarget particles in a particular size range. As one skilled in the artwill readily appreciate, the porosity for filter 40 should be selectedso that the filter traps dirt and other waste particles typicallyencountered in cleaning floors while remaining sufficiently porous toallow fluid to easily pass through filter 40.

Filter 40 may be attached to perforated section 18 by any number ofmethods. For example, in a preferred embodiment as shown in FIGS. 9A and9B, filter 40 is attached to perforated section 18 by a plurality ofrails 48 projecting from the inner surface of perforated section 18.Rails 48 are formed on three sides of filter 40, allowing filter 40 tobe slid in and out of rails 48. Rails 48 are configured to form a slotinto which filter 40 may be removably inserted. This allows a user toeasily remove and re-insert filter 40 when filter 40 requires cleaningor replacement. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 2, filter 40 may beattached to section 18 by a plurality of pins or buttons 41. In stillanother embodiment shown in FIGS. 13A and 13B, filter 40 may be attachedusing a plurality of clips 164.

As shown in FIG. 4, attachment member 60 allows wringer 1 to be attachedto bucket 70. In the preferred embodiment illustrated, attachment member60 consists of projections 62 and 64, which allow wringer 1 to be placedover and seated upon lip 72 of bucket 70. Projections 62 and 64 areconfigured to extend substantially down the side of bucket 70, but arenot actively clamped or attached to bucket 70. This allows wringer 1 tobe adequately secured to bucket 70 during normal use while allowingwringer 1 to be quickly and easily removed simply by lifting wringer 1away from bucket 70. Wringer 1 is oriented upon bucket 70 so that fluidthat flows through perforated section 18 will be deposited into bucket70. Bucket 70 may also have wheels 74, allowing the user to roll bucket70 along the ground instead of having to carry bucket 70 from onelocation to the next. Wringer 1 is also oriented in relation to bucket70 so that when the user presses against handle 38 with force F, force Fis directed towards the center of bucket 70. This prevents anunbalancing of wringer 1 and bucket 70 that might cause the wringer 1and bucket 70 to fall over. In an alternate embodiment, the wringer andbucket may be of a unibody construction.

In use, a mop head is inserted into container 10 through open top 12.The user presses against handle 26, rotating actuator 30 to actuatemovable section 20 from first position A towards second position B. Thisaction squeezes the mop head between movable section 20 and perforatedsection 18, wringing dirty cleansing fluid from the mop head. At thesame time, the cleansing fluid is forced through filter 40 after exitingcontainer 10 through perforated section 18. As the cleansing fluidpasses through filter 40, dirt and other contaminants and foreignobjects are removed from the cleansing fluid after the cleansing fluidpasses through perforated section 18, but before it reaches bucket 70.The dirt is thus trapped in filter 40 and kept separate from thecleansing fluid in bucket 70. The cleansing fluid used may includewater, a commercial cleansing solvent, and/or some other type ofsuitable fluid.

The placement of filter 40 within container 10 of wringer 1 isadvantageous in several respects. Filter 40 is clearly visible to theuser at all times. This allow for quick recognition of when filter 40needs replacement after too much dirt has been trapped in filter 40.Filter 40 is also easily accessible for replacement or cleaning, eitherwhen filter 40 is dirty, or when a different type of filter 40 isrequired when a different cleansing fluid is being used. Also, theposition of filter 40 within container 10 allows for the positiveforcing of the cleansing fluid through filter 40, instead of relyingupon gravity or other passive means for filtering the cleansing fluid.This increases the speed of the filtering process, thus further reducingthe total time required during mopping.

In another embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 5, perforated section 118 maybe disposed on movable section 120 of wringer 100. In this embodiment,filter 140 is attached to the exterior surface of movable section 120.Preferably, this embodiment utilizes an actuator 130 that is not locatedin a manner that would impede the flow of fluid through perforatedsection 118. Furthermore, the force that actuates movable section 120should not unbalance wringer 100 or the container to which it isattached. As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, a second preferred embodimentutilizes actuator 130 that comprises handle 138 attached to first gear132, which is rotatably attached to wringer 100. The teeth of first gear132 are interlocked with the teeth of second gear 134, is fixedlyattached to movable section 120 and is coaxial with rod 122. Pressingupon handle 138 causes the rotation of first gear 132, which in turncauses the rotation of second gear 134 in the opposite direction,resulting in the pivoting of movable section 120 about rod 122 towardsside wall 114. First gear 132 and second gear 134 may be dimensioned toprovide the optimal mechanical advantage for user to actuate movablesection 120 through the movement of handle 138.

The present invention may readily be used with other styles of wringersand wringer/bucket combinations. For example, as shown in FIGS. 10A and10B a filter 40 may be installed on an industrial type wringer 150having no moving parts or metal components. As shown in FIG. 10B, filter40 may be formed in a conical configuration to fit wringer 150. In analternate preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, filter 40 maybe installed on a downpress type wringer 160. As shown in FIGS. 12A and12B, filter 40 may be attached to wringer 160 with a series of push pins162 that mate with corresponding apertures on both sides of wringer 160.Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 13A and 13B, a plurality of clips 164may be used to secure filter 40 to wringer 160. In addition, as shown inFIGS. 9A and 9B, slots may be formed integrally with the wringer body tohold filter 40 in place. As another example, an electrical motor couldbe incorporated into the wringer to assist in squeezing a mop insertedinto a compressor volume. As one of ordinary skill in the art canreadily appreciate, for each of the wringer types disclosed herein, thewringer may be formed integrally with a bucket as a single unit.

The present invention may also be used in other apparatus for use infloor maintenance. For example, filter 40 may be used with an apparatusused for the waxing of floors. Filter 40 would be configured to have anappropriate porosity and would be composed of suitable materials for thefluid being used.

It can be readily seen by those skilled in the art that a wringer inaccordance with the present invention may take many differentconfigurations in addition to the ones presented here while remainingwithin the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, thewringer may have more than one movable section, and the motion of themovable section may be different than the one herein described.Furthermore, other actuating mechanisms other than the actuatordisclosed herein may also be used. Accordingly, it should be clearlyunderstood that the embodiments of the invention described above are notintended as limitations on the scope of the invention, which is definedonly by the following claims.

1. A wringer for use with wet mops comprising: a wringer body having anopen top and a plurality of side surfaces, the plurality of sidesurfaces forming an internal volume; a first wringing surface movablebetween a first position and a second position; and a second wringingsurface having at least one perforation; and a filter disposed on thesecond wringing surface; wherein the internal volume of the wringer bodyis decreased as the first wringing surface is moved from the firstposition to the second position, and the filter is configured andadapted to prevent dirt particles from flowing through the at least oneperforation during wringing.
 2. The wringer of claim 1, wherein thefilter further comprises a plurality of randomly aligned fibers.
 3. Thewringer of claim 1, wherein the fibers are attached to a porous backingmat.
 4. The wringer of claim 1, wherein the wringer further comprises anactuating mechanism attached to the wringer body and operativelyconnected to the first wringing surface.
 5. The wringer of claim 4,wherein the actuating mechanism further comprises a handle and a spring,the handle and the spring being operatively connected to the movablepart.
 6. The wringer of claim 5, wherein the handle is rotatable aboutan axis, and the rotation of the handle actuates the movable partbetween the first position and the second position.
 7. The wringer ofclaim 5, wherein the spring biases the movable part towards the firstposition.
 8. The wringer of claim 1, further comprising a container forholding fluid integrally formed with the wringer body.
 9. The wringer ofclaim 1, wherein the wringer further comprises an attachment memberconnected to the wringer body, the attachment member being configured toallow the wringer to be attached to a container.
 10. The wringer ofclaim 1, wherein the filter is attached to the second wringing surfaceusing a plurality of pins that mate with corresponding apertures formedon the wringer body.
 11. The wringer of claim 1, wherein the filter isattached to the second wringing surface using a plurality of clips. 12.The wringer of claim 1, wherein a channel formed on the second wringingsurface holds the filter in place.
 13. The wringer of claim 1, whereinthe wringer is a downpress wringer.
 14. The wringer of claim 1, whereinthe wringer is a sidepress wringer.
 15. A wringer for use with wet mops,comprising: a container having a plurality of side surfaces, with one ofthe side surfaces having a plurality of perforations; and a movablesection disposed opposite the perforated sidewall and adjoining theother side surfaces, the movable section being connected to the sidesurfaces by a pivotable connection about a first pivot axis; a filterattached to the perforated sidewall so that the filter is disposedbetween the perforated side wall and the movable section; and anactuator having a rod pivotable about a second pivot axis that isparallel to the first pivot axis and a handle connected to the rod thatis movable between a first position and a second position; wherein: thesidewalls and the movable section define an interior volume; and theactuator is operatively connected to the movable part so that themovement of the handle from the first position to the second positioncauses the movable section to pivot about the first pivot axis towardsand away from the perforated section.
 16. The wringer of claim 15, thewringer further comprises an attachment member adjacent to thecompartment, the attachment member being configured for attaching thewringer to a bucket.
 17. The wringer of claim 15, further comprising acontainer for holding fluid integrally formed in the wringer body. 18.The wringer of claim 15, the actuator further comprising a plurality ofprojections attached to the rod and transverse to the second pivot axis.19. The wringer of claim 15, the movable section further comprising aplurality of projections pivotably connected to the projections of therod.
 20. The wringer of claim 15, wherein the filter is formed of aplurality of randomly aligned fibers.
 21. The wringer of claim 20,wherein the fibers are attached to a porous backing sheet.
 22. Thewringer of claim 15, wherein the filter is formed of a plurality ofsubstantially aligned fibers.
 23. The wringer of claim 22, wherein thefibers are attached to a porous backing sheet.
 24. The wringer of claim15, the perforated section further comprising a plurality of projectionswherein the projections are configured to attach the filter to themovable section.
 25. The wringer of claim 24, wherein the projectionsare configured to form a slot into which the filter is removably held.26. The wringer of claim 15, wherein the filter is formed of syntheticfibers.
 27. The wringer of claim 15, wherein the filter is formed ofnatural fibers.
 28. A wringer for use with wet mops comprising: awringer body having an open top and a plurality of side surfaces, theplurality of side surfaces forming an internal volume; and a firstwringing surface movable between a first position and a second positionand having at least one perforation; and a filter disposed on the firstwringing surface wherein the internal volume of the wringer body isdecreased as the first wringing surface is moved from the first positionto the second position, and the filter is configured and adapted toprevent dirt particles from flowing through the at least one perforationduring wringing.
 29. The wringer of claim 28, further comprising: afirst gear rotatably connected to the wringer; a second gear fixedlyconnected to the first wringing surface and operatively connected to thefirst gear; and a handle fixedly attached to the first gear.
 30. Thewringer of claim 28, further comprising an electrical motor to assist inoperating the wringer.
 31. A wringer for use with wet mops comprising: awringer body having an open top and a plurality of side surfaces, theplurality of side surfaces forming an internal volume; and a wringingsurface having at least one perforation; and a filter disposed on thewringing surface; wherein the filter is configured and adapted toprevent dirt particles from flowing through the at least one perforationduring wringing.
 32. The wringer of claim 31, wherein the filter isformed of a plurality of randomly aligned fibers.
 33. The wringer ofclaim 31, wherein the filter is formed of a plurality of substantiallyaligned fibers.
 34. The wringer of claim 31, wherein the wringer furthercomprises an attachment member connected to the wringer body, theattachment member being configured to allow the wringer to be attachedto a container.
 35. The wringer of claim 31, further comprising aplurality of pins configured and dimensioned for attaching the filter tothe wringing surface.
 36. The wringer of claim 31, further comprising aplurality of clips configured and dimensioned for attaching the filterto the second wringing surface.
 37. The wringer of claim 31, furthercomprising at least one slot formed on the wringer body for attachingthe filter to the wringing surface.